A Teesside engineering firm is cruising into new overseas markets with its latest piece of kit - and now it’s looking to create more jobs.

Tees Components Ltd based in North Skelton has gained industry recognition for the design and production of its Tees White Gill Thruster propulsion unit.

The machining and fabrication sub-contractor, which employs 65 staff, is poised to break into high-growth world markets including Brazil and Germany, with help from UK Trade &amp; Investment (UKTI),

The propulsion unit provides full, continuous thrust through 360 degrees and can move a vessel in any direction, independently of the ship’s speed.

Most orders are for new vessels but the unit can also be retro-fitted to all types of ocean-going and coastal vessels, harbour craft and river boats.

The company is exhibiting at Navalshore 2014, which is the largest event of its kind in Rio de Janeiro this August.

It comes after the company signed up to UKTI’s Passport to Export programme to develop its export strategy and commissioned an Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) report focusing on Brazil.

A market visit to Brazil to meet potential clients highlighted by the OMIS report followed.

Now the company has appointed an agent in Brazil to help tender for future contracts

The company also recently secured a prestigious order worth around £825,000 to supply a high-technology research ship, commissioned by the South Korean government’s oceanographic research institution, with a pump jet thruster.

Sharon Lane, General Manager at Tees Components Ltd, said: “We are well on with producing the order, and have already been making deliveries on it.

“We have also booked exhibiting space at Navalshore and will go to Hamburg in September. It’s the first time we’ve been to Germany with the product.

“We have seen it’s worked in North America, for the last five years so we are now focusing on trying to get it into other markets and also build on the existing sales team.

“We have agent representation in America, Korea and Brazil.

“We also regularly go out to maintain the unit once they’re installed. We have a team of mechanical electrical engineers that goes all over the world and that team is always building.

“We’ve recently recruited another person, it’s a big area for job creation for us.”

The company will continue to work with UKTI on its export growth plans, she added.

“They are often able to provide opportunities which support our strategy, whether it is help with funding, OMIS reports, or simply providing the right contacts.”

Stephen Muir, UKTI international trade adviser, said: “The company has made positive strides over the past year with its export plans and as a result of the contacts in Brazil identified through OMIS and the ompany’s follow-up visits, it has now appointed an agent to represent the company there.

“The company has also reviewed its website to update and ‘internationalise’ it, which included translation in Portuguese and Korean and has also secured a great order from a customer in South Korea.

“We will be continuing to work with Tees Components Ltd over the next 12 months as it aims to consolidate and develop its presence in both Brazil and South Korea as well as looking at other new markets.